SAGINAW, MI — It’s still very early in the 2013-14 Ontario Hockey League season, but the Saginaw Spirit already appear to be learning a very important skill.

How to win on the road.

Saginaw has completed 4 of 5 straight road games and gained six possible points to move into second place in the West at 5-4-1-1 with 12 points.

“I think we’re just getting a little more consistent in our play,” Saginaw coach Greg Gilbert said. “There aren’t as many breakdowns as there were, and we’re not taking periods off. We’re still having some spots where we can clean it up, but for the most part, it’s starting to come together.”

One of those spots that Saginaw needs to clean up is the power play.

The Spirit have gone scoreless with the man advantage in 9 of 11 games played this season, including seven straight.

During that stretch, they’re 0-for-18 on the power play and 6-for-37 on the season.

“Guys aren’t executing,” Gilbert said. “Right now, I don’t think our puck movement is fast enough. We’ve got guys who are over handling the puck. They’ll be out of position, and we’ll start stick handling and allow them to get back into the position they want to be in.

“It’s one of those parts of the game we need to pick up, because we can win games with those power plays. It hasn’t been effective as of yet.”

And that has already affected Saginaw’s record.

The Spirit have lost a game by one goal during regulation, in overtime and in a shootout, and in those three games they were a combined 0-for-9 with a man advantage.

“We don’t need to have a pretty power play,” Gilbert said. “We just have to have an effective one.”

Standings

Saginaw has gone 4-0-1-1 in its last six games, improving to 5-4-1-1 with 12 points. The Spirit sit one point back of Sault Ste. Marie for first in the West, and they hold a two-game lead over Windsor and Plymouth. Sarnia is in last place.

Erie has drawn even with London in the Midwest with 15 points apiece, followed by Guelph with 12. Owen Sound and Kitchener trail with nine and eight points, respectively.

Kingston and Oshawa are tied for first in the East with 15 points apiece. Peterborough is two games back with 11 points, followed by Ottawa with 10 and Belleville with six.

North Bay has a one-game lead in the Central Division with 12 points, leading Sudbury and Mississauga’s 10 points apiece. Niagara sits a game back with eight points followed by Barrie with seven.

Spirit Spotlight

Saginaw Spirit at Sarnia Sting

Puck Drops: 7:05 p.m., Thursday

Record: Saginaw 5-4-1-1, Sarnia 2-6-0-1

Notes: The Spirit defeated the Sting on Oct. 2, and another Saginaw win combined with a Barrie win over Sault Ste. Marie would move the Spirit into sole possession of first place in the West.

Sarnia Sting at Saginaw Spirit

Puck Drops: 7:11 p.m., Saturday

Record: Sarnia 2-6-0-1

Notes: Nickolas Latta and Nikolay Goldobin lead the Sting with five goals apiece. Brodie Barrick and Taylor Dupuis have split time in net with each goalie going 1-3. Dupuis also has a shootout loss.

Barrie Colts at Saginaw Spirit

Puck Drops: 7:11 p.m.

Record: Oshawa 3-5-0-1

Notes: Mitchell Theoret, Andreas Athanasiou, Aaron Ekblad, Erik Bradford and Josh MacDonald are tied for the team lead with three goals apiece. Alex Fotinos is 3-0-0-0 as a starter, while Mackenzie Blackwood and Daniel Gibl have combined to go 0-5-0-1